


Forget and Remember

by Owlwithafringe



Series: The Merlin Arts Fest [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Immortal Merlin, M/M, Modern Era, TheMerlinArtsFest2015, after camlann
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 17:11:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4313403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Owlwithafringe/pseuds/Owlwithafringe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He breathed deeply. It still smelled the same mostly: the damp earth, fallen leaves rotting in the lake and bitterness of betrayal and grief, tainted with a slight undercurrent of pollution courtesy of 'human ingenuity'. </p><p>Here, it could be so easy to forget, even easier to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forget and Remember

  
_And the walls kept tumbling down_  
_In the city that we love_  
_Great clouds roll over the hills_  
_Bringing darkness from above_

_But if you close your eyes,_  
_Does it almost feel like_  
_Nothing changed at all?_  
_And if you close your eyes,_  
_Does it almost feel like_  
_You've been here before?_

*****

The water was cold around his feet, the small waves lapping at his ankles with a rhythmic insistence that could not be ignored. He didn’t care that his trousers were becoming steadily soaked by the lake, or that the clouds ahead looked as if they would drop their rain without warning shortly. The sun had once shined brightly on the worst day of Merlin’s life. It was funny how it didn’t seem to shine anymore.

He could feel the cool gust of wind tangling through his hair, caressing his face like a lover. He knew if he opened his eyes, he would see the mist rolling off the lake around him cloaking him from the world behind, separating him from the present.

He breathed deeply. It still smelled the same mostly: the damp earth, fallen leaves rotting in the lake and bitterness of betrayal and grief, tainted with a slight undercurrent of pollution courtesy of 'human ingenuity'. Here, it could be so easy to forget, even easier to remember.

It would be easy to remember the snapshots of care free laughing faces. Of the smell of the market on an afternoon when they sold exotic spices and herbs. The sound of feasts, of cutlery scraping against plates, of music and chatter. The feel of a firm jaw cradled in his hands, of his lips ghosting yours, the fond insults and morning breath. 

But behind him, the years had passed and the river of time destroyed the obstacles in its way. Crumbling walls, lost prophecies of men long forgotten except for myth and legend, and the agony of eternity ticking by missing the other side of your coin. 

It could be so easy to pretend that it was the same, it would be so easy to just let go and wade in and hope to never come out again, unless it was with him. He knew he could never though, a forbidden fantasy to be left to dream about on his worse days. His worse days usually ended up with him standing there.

*****

But this place never changed and he didn’t forget though he always remembered, and _he_ did not return.

But Merlin always did.

**Author's Note:**

> For The Merlin Arts Fest 2015, week 4, using the music prompt.
> 
> Feel free to leave kudos and comments, feedback is always appreciated and motivates me to write more! Come and find me on Tumblr at **[Owlwithafringe](http://owlwithafringe.tumblr.com/)** , to see updates on fics or to leave me a prompt.


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